1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk apparatus that plays back information stored in a disk. More particularly, it relates to a disk apparatus that can be used with being mounted in a moving object, such as a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
A related art disk apparatus is provided with a playback unit that can move between a lateral side of a disk conveyance path and a central portion of a disk stored therein, and a plurality of stockers each for stocking an inserted disk, each stocker being shaped like a part of a circle whose more than half of its area including a center is removed in order to make it possible for the playback unit to move toward the central portion of a disk stored in each stocker, supports a part of the perimeter of a disk which is in the removed part of each stocker by using a supporting member disposed on each stocker and brought into contact with the part of the perimeter of the disk, and rotates and retracts the supporting member toward a position where it does not act on the disk when there is no necessity to support the disk (refer to patent reference 1, for example).    [Patent reference 1] JP, 2002-197774,A (see paragraphs 0011, 0073, 0074, 0076, and 0077 and FIG. 2)
A problem with the related art disk apparatus is that since it supports a part of the perimeter of a disk which is in the removed part of each stocker by using the supporting member disposed on each stocker and brought into contact with the part of the perimeter of the disk so as to prevent a displacement of the disk in a horizontal direction, the component count increases.
As previously mentioned, since the related art disk apparatus supports a part of the perimeter of a disk which is in the removed part of each stocker by using the supporting member disposed on each stocker and brought into contact with the part of the perimeter of the disk, and rotates and retracts the supporting member toward a position where it does not act on the disk when there is no necessity to support the disk, the related art disk apparatus can prevent any displacement of the disk stored in each stocker in a horizontal direction. However, since the load of the disk stored in each stocker is held only by each stocker, there is a possibility that the disk stored in each stocker may be inclined downward toward the removed part of each stocker and the disk may drop into the disk apparatus and it is impossible to prevent the possibility of the drop of the disk. Furthermore, when a level at which the playback unit is horizontally moved and a level at which each stocker stores a disk therein are made to be close to each other in order to miniaturize and slim down the disk apparatus, if the disk stored in each stocker is inclined, the playback unit is brought into contact with the edge of the disk and cannot be made to rotate toward the central portion of the disk.